Chopper 1 Splitting Axe vs 8 lb. Splitting Maul and Fiskars X25 Splitting Axe
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- čas přidán 23. 01. 2018
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Episode #2
Testing the Chopper 1 Splitting Axe against an 8 lb Splitting Maul and a Fiskars X25 Splitting Axe.
Fiskars X25 Splitting Axe, 28-Inch
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Fiskars X27 Splitting Axe, 36 inch
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Fiskars 8 lb Maul, 36 Inch (not the one I use in the video but better)
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Sharpening puck
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No earthly idea why CZcams recommended this video to me, but I'm glad it did, it was fun to watch. I wish I had a place where I could go to split firewood for an hour or two on the weekends. I'd love to have a cool axe that I could put to work when the time was right.
Haha! Glad that you watched and commented. Thank you!
Man, I chop wood for my mother during summer and I've gotta tell you, it's a beautiful time of my life. The sounds of a good blow that crackles through the air is the most pleasant sound on earth. Doesn't take to much force to chop wood with that fiskers axe, I have the same one and man it's a Beauty
Years ago I bought one of those huge red "cheese wedge" monster splitters. Didn't do much in my hands. One day my friend came by (6' 4" and one solid man, rest in peace brother) and he just plowed through the knarliest rounds like it was nothing with that tool. Guess it really depends on the user's build too.
That is true! 😇🌎💫
How did he die?
Technique fella. Let the tool work for you, too. A lot of people flex up and are shot a few strokes in.
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you are way more prepared than my dad and I every was doing this. I split wood my entire childhood in tennis shoes a t shirt and jeans or basket ball shorts. I can't keep more than one layer on after a few swings. We used these Red steel mauls from the local hardware store. they were 14 pounds head and shaft together. Wasn't till later on when we refreshed are hand tools did we get some lighter heads. Spent one year with a 6 pound head before we got a hydraulic spliter. Now a days he buys 3 cords a year from the electric company (they keep a big pile on hand from the trees they clear) and uses space heaters to fill in the gaps. You tried a electric chainsaw yet? I've been eyeing a greenworks 60 volt for awhile now.
Your video told me basically everything I needed to know to chose an axe. Very helpful. Tks.
Thank you for watching and commenting. I'm glad it was helpful. I'm going to do a video on my small axe collection soon if you want to subscribe.
I came for comments by The wood splitting engineers.
mike makes yes that’s why I decided to become brain surgeon because I didn’t want to spend 16 years in wood splitting engineering school!!!
Same here,
Me too
Reminds me of my Dad 40 years ago, but they used to split horizontal logs, two guys and axes on each end......... kind of dangerous but effective... Muchas Gracias por el video. Saludos from Costa Rica..Hasta la vista..
The Fiskars. X27 splits any Aussie hardwoods and it is very ergonomic - I would recommend this brand
I grew up using, and still currently use a homemade splitting maul, it's a 24 pound head welded onto a pipe. I love it. I've used it against concrete, wood, metal and junk cars! Never had a problem with it
Wow, that thing must give you quite a good workout. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@C B it may be more, I forget what it weighed exactley
I have my Dad's Chopper 1 that he's had since long before I was here. It splits like a beast & currently only has 1 wedge, so glad to find out I can finally get replacement parts for it. It'll be chopping wood for years to come now.
Awesome. It is a cool axe.
I think where the chopper 1 has another advantage is that it doesn't get stuck in the wood.
Not very damn often that's for sure. And never deep enough you can't pop it out pretty easy.
I loved the Chopper 1 back in the day. It could put wood into Orbit 😂
Thank you! !! Great video
I wanted to see how great Splitting Ax is
I was very grateful.
Old wisdom is amazing
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching.
Nice demonstration. Thanks for sharing
Lady B The Hopeful Homesteader ... Thank you so much for subscribing and watching!
I love the fiskars x27. I’ve been using it for about 12 years. I just have to sharpen it every once in a while but that is to be expected with any blade. It really is a champ. My neighbor just gave me a chopper 1 so I was curious how the two would compare and this video shows just that. Thanks!
Yeah, my Fiskars axe is still going strong. That's great that you scored a Chopper One.
Agreed! I split all of my firewood and use the X27. I sure like my old splitter with the wood handle but it just doesn't compare. Nice job!
westmeathguy Thanks. Still loving the Fiskars axe. I may have to pick up an X27 someday.
Greetings from the Emerald Isle of Ireland,Put your rounds into the outer rim of s truck tyre,that has the inner walls removed ,put on s concrete base,and split away,the wood stays in the tyre and doesn't fly over the place, it's so easy to split rounds this way,
I own an x25, and it does the job with logs of nearly any size. Seeing this video, I was also surprised that the Fiskars also dealt with a log of that size, it seemed quite huge considering how thin the x25 is. As I saw other axes were a bit more effective, but not that much. Also, if you chop smaller logs as well, Fiskars wins the day, as it is very light and offers great handling, which is quite important if you plan to work all day.
Thanks for watching and commenting Cliff. The Fiskars Axe did perform really well on the big rounds. It feels good in the hands and is great for a long day of chopping like you mentioned.
I just got an X25 for smaller rounds but was also surprised how effective it was on some larger rounds that I tried it on.
Bought an X25 when I first started heating with wood and have never felt the need for anything else. At 5'9", it has the perfect length for me and the weight is such that i can swing it all day with force to blast through the knottiest stuff on my property after a few chops. Also, I feel more in control of this amount of weight. Great axe.
My Collin's Axe Reigns Supreme to all three of these!
Nice video. I also enjoyed the birdsong in the background. Cheers!
Thank you Paul. Have a good one.
Thank you sir for the time you invested in making your video. At 6’2” tall, I ordered an X27 Fiskars. I’ve owned many of their pole saws and appreciate their quality. Thank you for the comparisons.
You're welcome. Thank you for checking out the video and commenting. 👍
Your placement accuracy is amazing!
I've used a Chopper 1, (not Chopper 2, see edit), with the fiberglass handle, for about 25 years. It can blast through most wood that's not too twisted or knotty, and the fiberglass handle is easy on the hands and arms. You have to clear the area around you, make sure no people or animals are close, because sometimes the splits go flying really far. If splitting next to a stack sometimes they'll fly and stack themselves if they land just right 😎
Edit: The fiberglass handle version is still called Chopper 1 not Chopper 2.
I've never heard of the chopper 2. Sounds cool.
@@AlmostHomestead That's because it doesn't exist.
@@AlmostHomestead
Like the dude said, it doesn't exist.
BUT WHAT DOES EXIST, are old tires. And will help keep the wood from becoming satellites with the Chopper 1.
... it's a cool splitter
Or any sort of strap or chain around the log will hold it together while allowing the splits.
@@trevorlambert4226 You're right. For some reason I thought the fiberglass handle version was called Chopper 2 but it's not.
Thank you.
That satisfying “crack” at 1:22 😁. Thanks for the video man.
Haha! Yes indeed. Thanks for checking out the video.
It's really hard to judge cuz you can see you're trying not to hit the dirt, the only way to really judge them is to swing for the fence. I like that last one but I never did get to swing one like that. Great video👍👍👍
Thanks for checking out the video and commenting.
I have all 3 also got my chopper 1 at a yard sale What were you splitting looks like hemlock or spruce. And where are you located looks like my neck of the woods literally
Not surprised. I've been using an X27 for years and love it.
DO NOT USE THE BACK AS A HAMMER FOR A WEDGE, I overestimated it’s strength and ended up breaking the head off my f27. Bought a very similar husky model for half the price and am just as impressed if not moreso
How tall are you? I’ve got the X25, I’m exactly 6 foot and find it rather short...
@@letyourmusshang I’m 5’9”. I think the X27 is like 6-8” longer so it would be better for you.
@@jeffsmith673 yeah it’s 36” instead of 28”. Just a hassle having to return it through Amazon lol
EXCELLENT. It’s AlWaYs good to have a back up, or different axes. The Copper 1 is the world. Different uses just as many others ( ammo, riffles, trucks,....etc ). Keep the videos coming. Thank you.
Thank you for watching and commenting.
Starting in the middle of the round is the problem. Just eyeball where you think the crack will come through the side and hit it there with a passing blow, top down through the side. The axe will pernitrate deep and the girth of the axe will open the crack up right through the heart. I did it wrong for years until I watch this 80 something year old man splitting wood. I thought it was a miracle the way he was just blasting through those logs and he showed me what I was doing wrong. BTW, he used a double bit axe and the side he split with was completely dull. You are right about the Fiskars axe, it's a bad little machine.
EXACTLY ... !
I find that a log will split way faster no matter what you use if you start at the edge and not in the center. Physics is your friend.
I have used a chopper for 30 years. I can swing it longer and generally doesn't get stuck.
Pllll
It's not supposed to get stuck..
An old lady just gave me a chopper 1! I'm stoked to try it out! Thanks for the vid!
Oh man that's great. Good score!
So you couldn't have waited until you've tried it out first before posting your comment?! So... After 5 months what is the verdict?
@@dontwakemeup1037 I've heard it was so good he is splitting in the woods till now!
I used my uncle's Chopper One in my teens. I purchased a poly handle Chopper One second hand over a decade ago. No regrets.
Oh cool!
Thanks for putting this together. I have been thinking about getting the x25 and this makes me feel like it is the correct decision.
Cool Nate, glad it was helpful. The X25 or longer X27 are pretty sweet axes.
X27 is way better
Love my X25!
Chopper 1 is awesome. Owned one for 25 years
Thank you! Just bought the x25 been using the 36" too long for a short lady, 5lbs verses the 3lb. Looking forward to using it. Great video .
Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
Mary Madalene, the Fiskars X25 weighs (total weight) 5.30 pounds, 84.8 ounces to be exact, that makes it at least 4 1/4 lbs + in the axe head alone without counting the handle.
@@paulhomsy2751 I think for me it's the length more than the weight. Thanks for the correction 😊
I used the big red “Thumper” for a winter and it physically beats the hell out of your after 30 minutes. Got the Fiskars for a present and haven’t looked back. Extremely durable handle, great balance. I used wedges though on a whole round to get initial split.
Cool. It really does feel good in the hands. Nice balance.
All three are good. One trick I was shown is to coat the leading half of the axe/maul heawith canola oil (cheap) every now and then to prevent the head from sticking. The Fiskars x27 is my preferred splitter/axe; it is "awesome".
Thanks Allan!
I have the big and the hatchet-length Fiskars splitting axes, and they’re incredible. I have no need for any other splitting tools, whatsoever.
thank you..
Jody Sappington ...Hi Jody, thanks for taking a look at this video.
I've used the chopper one for decades..I would swing it all day..and night. The ONLY problem is the springs occasionally need to be replaced..no biggie. In fact we have 2 of them. Tried different splitting mauls even the go devil, always go back to old reliable (chopper one).
Oh cool. I need to use mine nore often. 👍
*_Fishars_* now has a pretty good maul - see the *Fiskars Iso Core 8- pound 36 inch maul* _($53 USD on Amazon)._
Awesome job, man!!!
Thank you Hugh! Much appreciated.
Confirmed This man after saying it is like an earthquake happening puts this axe on his hands, he can withstand the full force of an earthquake, what a beast!
Outstanding!
Good to know. Thx
Totally with you 💯✨
Strike close to bark and it'll split quicker..also as ive aged I modified a t post driver into a splitter..with splitting ace head on bottom
We've recently bought the x25 for some birch logs and it's great so far.
Awesome! Great axe.
I have the Fiskars and I love it. I think the most important feature is the little hook on the end of the handle. Allows me to unload all my rage without fear of it slipping from my hands.
Haha! For sure.
Amazon links to Fiskars Axes and Maul are listed in the video description
Bought an X27 in Walmart once.Crawford county Michigan.
I haven't used a Chopper 1, but the X27 has been my Go-To for the last few years. I, too, keep heavier axes as back-ups.
Terry Hale X27 is a nice one also. Thanks for watching.
first chops should always be more towards the edge and after you get the split started you move in towards the beefier part of the round
It's fiskars all the way for me. Light, sharp and effective and able to work for longer.
Glad to know I am not the only person with this problem. My maul works good, but I'll definitely be purchasing an axe.
I find the x 27 to work great on hardwoods but not so on soft woods. The grain structure and spacing and moisture in pine and other softwoods makes the head get stuck more easily, even though it does work... the chopper is def the best for softwoods. I split mostly oak, ash, birch, cherry, hickory, ect.
yeah i use a normal axe for softwoods
Her: He's probably watching women twerk on his phone.
Me:
LOL!
😅
First off the instructions that come with the chopper one say that you swing around the edges of the round and you would get a split with every swing i also think it likes frozen wood better. I too prefer the Fiskars. Watch the Tom Clark video and take note of his methods Having a sharp edge penetrate the wood is key and some sideways force to open wood. I think the chopper one would benefit greatly with a sharp and tapered edge closer to the fiskars. I may try and see if there is enough material to do that on the Chopper or i might try and weld an edge on to grind it sharp and narrower. I believe there no one splitter to do all. I own a bunch. I got two fiskars and may add a third. I use the lighter one on the smaller splits. Different strokes/tools for different wood.Oh yea - for that knotty hickory Buck it - go hydraulic
Try the Fiskars on the opposite edge instead of the center of the block. I got the X27 and it outperformed the maul when I use the opposite edge instead of the center.
Had a Chopper 1 for over 40 years in the UK. Use it for all my heavy splitting, ash, oak, beech etc. In 40 years I’ve broken 2 of the wing pins and maybe 4 springs, easy enough to replace, but can’t get the genuine spares in the UK. Still has the original handle and I think it’s processed about 4 to 5 tons a year. Reckon I’ve had my monies worth 👍
That's awesome. Thanks for sharing
Did you try their webpage? I can’t imagine why they couldn’t ship to the UK for the right price.
I do have two axes too.
The Gransfors Bruks splitting hammer (buy once, cry once) and a big heavy maul.
Over 90% of the splitting work is done by the Gransfors, only when there is really tough stuff I go with the maul.
I love the Gransfors a lot, it is a piece of craftmanship art, handy and very well balanced.
It still has the original stick in it after six years now, it never went lose or something.
I can split much more and longer with the Gransfors than with the maul.
I would love to own a Gransfors someday. I can imagine that it's a joy to use such a fine piece of craftsmanship. Thank you for watching and commenting.
x27 is my go to
I have an 8lbs splitting maul and haven't used it since I got a Fisker splitting axe. Light yet splits like a champ.
Polish the sides and it makes an unbelievable difference.
I recently bought a fiskars axe, what does polishing the sides do?
@@fordzzeh7430 It helps the leading edge sink into the wood a bit farther, I feel it takes less effort to accomplish the same task. And it looks cool lol
@@endutubecensorship interesting I’ll have to try that. What do you use to polish?
@@fordzzeh7430 I forgot to mention only the bare metal portions of the head are polished.
The bare metal portions are coarse from the factory, I would start with 300 grit sand paper and as it smooths out use progressively finer grit until you can buff it with a polishing wheel.
I used a sanding/sharpening belt then a buffing wheel.
I just split an entire tree worth of wood using a fiskars maul. It is a beast. One good swing and it will split anything
Good comparison! IMHO the Fiskars is the best. I've got X17 and I love it. But I need some larger model. Thanks for your video.
Thanks for watching and commenting Victor. I'm glad it helped you decide. My Fiskars is still my go to axe.
Cool video. I like a dull 8lb maul splitter myself.
Thank you. A maul is a good way to plow through the rounds.
Same.
Interesting facts about splitting logs
Thank you for watching and commenting. Much appreciated.
Cool vid, i've found the Fiskars X25 on special offer so i'm going for that. Looking forward to getting my chop on lol.
Thank you for watching and commenting. Nice to get a deal on the Fiskars Axe.
Damn helpful. Thanks.
Thanks for watching. 👍
This was an amazing video
Thank you!
Just bought the x27 off your recommendation. Thanks amigo
Awesome. Hope it does the job for you.
Over from Prepsteader Bob's. Your beaver coat video was fun!
Hey Thank You!
Chopper 1! That thing is incredible. Nice comparison.
7 Ducks Self Reliant Living... Thanks!
The chopper one spilt everything fast. Dude like to swing steel.
On tough rounds like that, I always start with 2 wedges and a sledge hammer, only use my 6 lb maul once I'll be able to split it in one strike. If the maul gets stuck I drive it through with the sledge. For smaller wood I built a rack to cut mass amounts of branches at once (see my video on that). Thanks for the demo - the plot of this movie was quite riveting.
Sounds like a good way to go about it. Haha! Riveting.
Yeah.Nice watching someone else split the logs,LOL.
There was an old timer's phrase - biting off more than you can chew.
Great video
Sorry for such a late reply. I just found your comment and two others in my messages folder and they were flagged as possible spam and held for review. I need to check my youtube messages on a regular basis for these kind of glitches. Thank you for watching!
My favorite thing to do
Its been 35+ yrs since I last chopped an appreciable amount of firewood, but from what I remember, I mostly gravitated towards using a good splitting axe on properly dried logs of med size (or smaller), preferrably with nice regular grain free of healed wounds, knots or joints; whereas a splitting maul was more of an optional specialty tool i'd trot out to deal with more challenging full size logs with irregular grain and/or still a bit green ... usually used in conjunction with one or more splitting wedges and possibly a sledge hammer.
Cmon, admit it ... using 3 properly dried logs with perfect grain was a bit easy. Kinda like testing a snowblower on powdered snow instead of heavy wet packing snow. 😉
BTW, chopping tip to onlookers ... just like having a good base for an anvil improves work efficiency (rebound) for a blacksmith, a splitting axe performs better if you can position the log atop a solid immobile base (but not so hard that a miss or a thru-split will damage the axe). An old stump cut level to ground works, as does a driveway (you can put down a pair of 2x12 scraps side by side, or a piece of 1" plywood or microlam, to protect the axe). Heck, if ya got scrap metal, a 2ft circle of 1" steel plate, and a matching circle of microlam would probably be great - round so you can upend and roll em if needed, the heavy steel as a kinetic energy vertical backstop, and microlam to stop misses. You could cut the microlam slightly and put four 2" deck screws around the lip, to prevent it from sliding off the plate.
Splitting on dirt robs your blows of quite a bit of force.
@@RovingPunster I don’t mind splitting on dirt I’m not worried about dulling my axe I’ll sharpen it but as far as the power being robbed from you goes I have to agree but at the same time the piece I’m splitting being as low to the ground as possible gives me a lot more force also it’s faster Atleast for me given I can put good power into my blows because I just flip my wood and position it with the sharp corner of my axe very rarely bending over what I’m saying is I find it much faster doing chop in top of dirt because I don’t have to keep moving around my wood o just work my way through the pile and once the wastland of wood gets too big I go and pick it all up ideally though that’s what the woman is for when she’s helping out lol alot faster working as a team
@@cocainehernandez919 It's all good. Cheers mate.
I very much miss being young.
Fiskers is no joke... especially the warranty no hassle no question no extra money if anything happens to it... by far the best in my opinion and I warm my house with fire wood my whole life, it doesn’t get stuck in the wood like most conventional axes
Just subscribed !! Like your videos. Good info. Thanks ..
Thank you Marcel. I appreciate the support. Have a great weekend!
My back hurts just by watching you swing tho axes. From my bed:)
I had one of those chooper 1s. Had the fibrecore handle. It was my best maul
Michael Tanzer Chopper one has decent customer service also. After I bought the new handle for it they sent a new shim as the one that was shipped with the handle wasn’t quite right apparently.
And it's not even a maul btw.
Saw a chopper in an antique shop Ann wondered how effective it was? Think I might go back and get it after this video .great demo ,thanks
Oh cool! Good luck.
I used to sell firewood 45 years ago and split 45-50 cords per year with a maul. I am now nearly 70 and use a hydraulic splitter. Can do 3-4 cords per day with ease. Get one if you split a lot of wood. I am splitting very difficult woods such as valley oak, eucalyptus and almond.
45-50 cords per year? Man that's a lot of splitting. Nice work. I'm sure that the hydraulic splitter is a welcome addition with the wood you are splitting now. Have a great evening! Thanks for commenting.
I have an x25 and it's awesome, easy to swing and splits well, rarely gets stuck in wood. If you're 6 foot or above you probably want the x27.
Ben McLeod same. Wouldn’t go back to the maul. Effortless.
@@edwardmullan2724 I just got an x15 this weekend for limbing and that thing is awesome too in it's own way, would recommend.
I’m 5’6”, but strong and muscular, and swing the X27. Works well for me and I enjoy it. Ordered and Isocore mail and can’t wait to try it out too!
@@BrandonWest87 I have the maul and love it too, I usually use it to bust the big ones that the x25 can't handle and to drive wedges which it is extremely good at
@Ben After testing out the maul, I’m hooked! The difference between the isocore and the husky maul I have is night and day.
Thanks for the cool video. A friend sent a video of the Chopper 1 and here i am in the rabbit hole. Lol.
Btw that song in the middle was awesome. I had to Shazam it
Arcade Stranger (Juan Manrique Remix) by Armirax Leonard & Funk Deep
Thanks for checking out the video. That music in the middle is one of my favorites from my recording days when I had a home studio. Thanks. Not sure what you mean by had to Shazam it, and the reference to Arcade Stranger. 🤔😆
I bought the X27 two years ago and haven’t needed anything else. I’m usually splitting white oak and red oak in NJ. For the big rounds I use a splitting maul with 4 pound mallet and work my around. It’s just easier on my back.
Sounds great Tim!
Nice
Ah firewood... warms you up several times..
That's for sure. 😄 Thanks for checking out the video.
😂😂👍🏼
Splitting wood is hard enough without the bending over constantly. I learned a while ago to put a 2 or 3 foot chain around the log along with a rubber bungee to keep tension on it. No more bending. Bill
У меня три Фискарса,Х11,Х21,и Х27 еще не было пней с которыми они бы не справились,просто каждый для своих работ.А вообще Фискарс отличный колун.Удачи в работе!!!👍
Согласен. Fiskars - мой любимый. У меня тоже есть топор fiskars. перевод Google
Good video!
Thank you!
Number of knots, size of knots can make splitting really painful, but by choosing the splitting lines right, wood can split easier
I have several mauls, wedges, and sledge hammers, but my favorite wood splitter ever is the new DeWalt I bought a month or so ago. I rarely pick anything else up anymore
Nice!
@Nomen Clature pretty much the same design as the fisker
i personally prefer the fiskars because that’s what i use to split wood with and it works great but i just wish they would make it a wood handle one day
They do with their chopping axes but jot with the splitting ones
The birds tho!!
I love the birds, where do you live homesteader?
I have x25 and x35. Those are shock axes. They will splitt everything. But there is a downside. They work only when you swing them real hard, wich means they make you tired fast.
To split easy and short stomps more casually is better to have some heavy axe, wich you can just lift and drop.
So choose x25/35 for long and difficult stomps and Chopper 1 for "conveyor work".
Wood getting squirrelly?! That's nuts!
Logs are completely different, not a good test
WindWolfAlpha 😀
Exact same situatio